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Friday, 21 February 2014

Friday Cocktail: Seduced by Seville

So, whilst your roses may still be going strong, that teddy clutching an ‘I love you’ banner still hasn’t found a permanent home yet, and there’s a handful of chocolates left in that heart shaped box, it’s time to move on; Valentines is over. With this, I have something I need to confess; I’ve been seeing someone else..

Call it what you want – an affair, a fling, a romance – I couldn’t help it. It’s not like it was planned or anything, it just, kind of, happened. I was drawn in by the popularity, the open mindedness, the dazzling glass.. Yes, glass. My chap need not worry, for it is not another man I've become infatuated with, it's the supermarket booze aisle. There I was, wandering around the shop, innocently looking for some ingredients for dinner, then somehow I found myself there. Alcohol wasn’t even on my list but, either way, I fully embraced the situation, checking out all the offers, new items, and so on. I left with a feeling of guilt and at least one additional thing in my basket.

Anyway, this has become a bit of a thing. I've got a well stocked 'bar' at home, but for some reason I still have the urge to visit that eighteens-only-aisle. I walk up and down, pick things up, read about them, put them back, have a butchers at what other people are putting in their trolleys, and generally linger a little too long. It's sad, I know, but I feel better for getting that off my chest.

My recent shop saw me come home with something that’s not your usual supermarket spirit; a bottle of cachaça, Velho Barreiro £19.99 from Waitrose. Cachaça is Brazil's favourite spirit and is the essential ingredient for a Caipirinha, so, to make up for my unnecessary purchase, it was cocktail o'clock. With Seville Oranges in season, I thought I'd take the opportunity to make a take on the classic; I brought a bit of Britishness to the Brazilian, and used marmalade instead of sugar, a Breakfast Martini of the Caipirinha world perhaps. As a thicker, more luxurious version of the original, I've called it Seduced By Seville – and it’s SUPER easy!

Seduced by Seville cocktail recipe (serves one)

Ingredients:

1 lime, cut into quarters

1 heaped tsp Seville Orange Marmalade

50ml Cachaça

A few drops of Orange Bitters (optional)

Ice (a few cubes or crushed)

Mix it!

In a tumbler, muddle together the lime and marmalade until you’ve got out as much juice as possible, and the marmalade has essentially dissolved.

Add the ice, cachaça and orange bitters (if using).

Stir vigorously and serve.

Maybe next time you venture to your supermarket, take a little extra time to browse that beautiful booze aisle (if you see a strange lady lurking and peering into your basket, it'll be me*, say hello!) Spontaneously splurge on something, I dare you.

*it might not be me, you’ll seem strange then.

Supermarket image taken from Violentz's photostream under the Creative Commons License.

Cocktail image taken from Robert S Donovan's photostream under the Creative Commons License